Multilingual identity shifts among language learners with experience of studying abroad in Germany

Abstract Study abroad (SA) experiences significantly influence language learners' multilingual development. Current research primarily examines the linguistic and cultural development of language learners in SA contexts. However, there is a need for further research to investigate the multilingual identity shifts that occur at the intersection of linguistic and personal growth, which are discursively and ideologically constructed. This study uses language portraits and semi‐structured interviews to explore nine Chinese university students' multilingual identity shifts by examining their SA experiences in Germany. Thematic analysis identified three dimensions of multilingual identity: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Changes in these three dimensions of multilingual identity interacted differently with language ideologies at different levels: macro (e.g., China's focus on German‐language examinations, Germany's use of English as a lingua franca), institutional (e.g., communicative German instruction in Germany), and micro (e.g., a student community's prioritizing English or German). Practical recommendations are offered for fostering multilingual identity development through SA experiences, and future research directions are suggested to explore this dynamic process.